


Rule with a Velvet Tongue

by formercongressman



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: AU, College, F/F, Lesbian AU, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 07:40:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17935619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/formercongressman/pseuds/formercongressman
Summary: In which Raven is too cool for school, Raja is just cool enough, and there are some rocks that glow in the dark.





	Rule with a Velvet Tongue

Well, it was a party. Technically. Low lights, music, dancing, everyone seemed pretty drunk. It checked all the boxes. So why wasn’t she having any fun?

Raven took another sip of the boxed wine she had brought in a mason jar, cringing at the dull, bitter flavor. She was swaying at the edge of the crowd of people, trying to gauge how bad she would feel if she ended up going back to her dorm, in bed before midnight on a Saturday. She didn’t really know anyone here except Juju, who had brought her here in the first place, who was now dancing (well, it would be generous to call that dancing) on a table across the room. She had no urge to join her.

The music changed, and that was when she knew she needed to get out of here. Party Rock Anthem? In 2019? It was unacceptable. She remembered the cigarettes in her pocket and knew it would be the perfect excuse if Juju tried to pull her back in. She pushed past a gaggle of sweaty freshmen to the other end of the common room, quickly finding the door out to the courtyard. Someone had stuck a couch cushion in between the door and the wall to prop it open. Classy. She stepped out and welcomed the rush of cool, fresh air on her face.

There were a few other people outside: a couple making out against the brick wall, the blonde bitch from her film class crying while two friends tried to comfort her, and a lanky girl with a denim jacket and a cigarette who didn’t look up from her phone. Raven sat down on a bench, popped an American Spirit between her lips, and fished around in her pockets for a lighter.  _Fuck._ Morgan had borrowed it to light a candle in their shared room and she had never gotten it back.

She looked at the girl with the cigarette. She would have a lighter, but she seemed older and definitely cooler, nonchalantly slumped in her wrought iron chair. And she was  _hot_ , thin and androgynous, and she tried not to think about that as she approached her, the only option.

“Hey, do you have a lighter?” Raven asked, trying to act casual.

The other girl looked up at her with dark, warm eyes and cracked the subtlest smile. “Oh, I don’t, actually. I borrowed one from a friend and she just left.”

“Oh, sorry to bug you.”

“No, wait, come here.” The older girl stuck her own lit cigarette back in her mouth, leaning in so close to Raven that their faces were just inches apart. Raven was pretty sure her heart stopped beating. The girl shielded the tips of their cigarettes from the light breeze as she lit Raven’s cigarette off her own. Raven inhaled deep, thanking whatever deity was listening that she didn’t cough. She felt awash in an intimidating mix of nerves, wine, tobacco, and attraction, all of which she tried to play off.

“This party blows,” the girl said, taking a drag of her own.

“Ugh, I know, can you believe the music they’re playing?”

“It sounds like a dad who’s trying to fit in with his teen daughter made this playlist.“

“Precisely.” The girl ducked her head to laugh, and Raven chased her smile. “I’m Raja, by the way.”

“Raven,” she answered.  _Raja._ Was that a given name? Chosen name? Whatever it was, it seemed to fit her perfectly, all loose slanted lines and an air of mystique.

“What year are you?” Raja asked, tucking back a strand of long, black hair.

“Sophomore,” Raven admitted, tapping some ash off her cigarette. 

“Ah, I’m a senior.” 

“Huh. I just feel like I haven’t seen you before.” And Raven probably would have noticed someone this beautiful. She was pretty sure she had identified every gorgeous upperclassman in the dining hall or at the handful of select parties she had been invited to. Raja hadn’t been anywhere.

“I was studying abroad all last year, so that makes sense. Indonesia.”

“Oh damn. Do you speak… Indonesian?” Raven was pretty sure that was a language.

“Javanese. And Dutch. And a couple other dialects, but not as well.” Raja smiled, clearly noticing how Raven’s eyes had gone wide. She stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray. “I’m not a prodigy, my family’s just from there.”

“Oh, cool.”  _Very_  cool. Raven had been to Canada once on a shitty family vacation but had never left the US since. She was in awe of people who traveled, and even a little jealous.

“I’m about to pack a bowl, do you want some?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Raven said quickly. It had been months since she had gotten high, and none of the stoners in her year wanted to sell to her since she had ghosted Adore. Realizing that she had maybe sounded a little desperate, she quickly added, “I mean, sure, that’s cool.”

Raja smiled to herself as she opened up her small bag on the table. Raven watched, mesmerized by the precision of Raja’s hands, her chipped black nail polish, as she packed the simple glass piece. She borrowed a lighter from someone leaving the party, lit it, and passed it to Raven.

“Are you here with anyone?”

“Just my friend Juju, but I think she forgot about me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. She’s having fun in there, at least.” She watched Raja take a long hit, her lips pucker ever so slightly as she breathed out. “But I’m having fun now,” Raven added, shortly wanting to smack herself for getting distracted and letting her filter drop. Raja passed her the bowl again, thankfully without comment.

It might have just been high she felt creeping up her arms, but Raja was so easy to talk to. It turned out they both had religious families, both of whom were pretty okay with them being queer. They bonded over how much they both hated the hideous neon sweater the crying blonde girl was wearing (“Maybe  _that’s_  why she’s crying,” Raja had said) and they stifled a laugh when one of her friends looked over to shoot them an icy glare. Raven could see that Raja was the kind of girl who could be absolutely cutthroat, which made it all the more stunning that she was being so kind. Raven thanked her lucky stars and tried to act like she felt she deserved it. 

They finished the bowl and Raven felt all the sharp edges of the night and her anxiety from the party fade away. A comfortable silence seemed to swallow them up, the conspiratorial calm of getting high together. Raven was grateful for this, as she always worried that she would say something stupid or weird without thinking it through. This felt like a safety blanket.

She looked over at Raja, admiring the smooth curves of her face, the way her hair seemed to fall almost too perfectly around her, the way everything about her just seemed so effortless. Raja lifted an eyebrow, and Raven quickly looked away, realizing that was maybe too long to stare at someone normally.

“Why are you quiet?” Raja asked, trying to catch her eye again.

Raven laughed to herself. It was like Raja had read her mind. “Just stoned.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“You first.”

Raja rolled her eyes. “Well now I’m thinking about how difficult you’re being.”

Raven couldn’t hold back a giggle from bubbling up. She looked down, searching for an answer, when she zeroed in on Raja’s long, slender hands. “I’m thinking about how like your hand tattoo.”

Raja pulled up the sleeve of her jean jacket so Raven could see how the dark arcs and spirals carried even further up her thin wrist. “Thanks, it’s new.”

“I really like it.”

A pause.

“And that’s all you’re thinking about?” Raja asked.

Raven bit her lip. If she said yes, she would look disinterested, and if she said no, she would have to come up with some other half-truth that Raja would also probably see straight through. Catch-22. Instead, and she couldn’t name what force compelled her to do this, she traced her fingertips deliberately over the delicate lines on Raja’s hand, her soft skin, the ridges of her knuckles and tendons. Her palm settled flat over Raja’s, Raven’s fingers falling into the gaps, curling ever so slightly. She ventured a look up to Raja, who was watching her intently. This is what she had been thinking about. She hoped Raja really could read her mind.

Abruptly, the music from the party cut out. Raven pulled her hand back, turning around to see the lights thrown on in the dark room, where one or two people were gathering up their things. The party had fizzled out and she hadn’t even noticed. A handful of folks filed out through the patio door, and then Raven and Raja were the only ones remaining outdoors.

“What are you doing with the rest of your night?” Raja asked finally, breaking the silence.

Raven swallowed. “Um, probably just going back home. I don’t know of anything else going on. Unless you do.” She wasn’t ready for the night to end just yet. Raja was magnetic, and the thought of leaving now was criminal.

“Do you want to see something cool?” Raja had this glint in her eye, a kind of spark of energy, and  _wow_  she was even more beautiful when she was excited about something. 

Raven nodded. At this moment, Raja could talk her into anything.

“Good.  _Great_. And adventure! And it’s not far. Come on.” They both stood, Raja tossing her things into a small backpack while Raven adjusted her jacket.

“Oh,” Raven breathed. They hadn’t both been standing at the same time yet. Raja was  _tall_. Like, really tall, so tall Raven had to tilt her chin to look up at her.

“What?”

“Just good weed.” Raven quickly saved herself. And yeah, it was good weed, but she was pretty sure that the feeling of ground shifting underneath her could be attributed to much more than that.

–

Raven was shocked when Raja slid her student ID through the science building’s card reader and the door actually clicked open. It was almost one in the morning, and you were only supposed to be able to get in after hours if you were in a particular STEM program.

“I was an astronomy major for about twenty minutes,” Raja explained, seeing Raven’s confused expression. “But then I told them I wanted to work on astrology and they kicked me out of the major. I’m in art now. What’s your sign, by the way?“ 

Raven wanted to find a tactful way to ask if what they were doing was actually allowed without sounding like a narc. She knew that there was a party in the academic buildings about once a year, that she had never been invited, and that last year a senior girl had outrun a party cop who had tried to break it up. But technically they weren’t doing anything wrong, probably, and perhaps against her best judgement she already trusted Raja.

“I’m an Aries,” Raven managed finally.

“Interesting. Do you know your whole chart?”

“No, but I think I’m a… Cancer moon, Capricorn rising?”

Raja made a sound, a choked-back kind of laugh.

“What, is that bad? What does it mean?”

“Oh god. It means…” Raja paused by the staircase, propping herself up against the bannister, biting. “Well, you come off as a heartless cunt to most people on first impression. Once people get to know you they see that you’re a good leader, goal driven, very into your work. And deep,  _really_  deep down, you’re actually a really sensitive person, a good listener, and pretty selfless. It’s a wildly contradictory chart.”

Raven took two steps up the stairs so that she was taller than Raja. “Well, that can’t be right. I’m a cunt through and through.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Raja laughed, following her up.

“What about you?”

“Gemini across the board. Sun, moon, and rising. Which means that I’m wildly volatile, two-faced, paralyzingly indecisive, and the heart of the party. Only good parties, though.”

They climbed the stairs together, eventually stopping at the third floor. The building was eerily silent with the half the lights out and nobody else around. She wondered where they were going, what could be so interesting about the science building at night. She hadn’t been in here much, already knew about the weird giant sloth skeleton in the basement, and hadn’t heard of anything else remarkable in the shabby building.

“Ta-da!” Raja finally exclaimed. They were standing in a side hallway, lights dimmed, and Raja gestured to the glass display cases full of colorful rocks, minerals, and crystals belonging to the Geology department.

“I know it might not look like much,” Raja anticipated her confusion, “but check this out.” She pushed on one of the cases and the glass slid to the side. Raja picked up a geode, black and lumpy on the outside but with angular, gem-like edges inside. They were opaque, cotton candy pink and blue. “Hold it,” she encouraged.

Raja passed the geode to Raven, and she was immediately shocked by how unanticipatedly heavy it was. She ran her fingers over the colorful insides, so brilliant she could almost taste them. “Wow,” Raven breathed.

“They never lock this one case. You can’t do this during the day since there’s always professors around, but I come here sometimes just to look at them.” Raja picked up a deep purple mineral with jagged, spiky crystals protruding straight up. “This one’s my favorite.”

Raven was almost speechless. Any worry over whether or not this was actually allowed slipped away from her. She wanted to open every cabinet, touch every gem, and listen to Raja talk about how they made her feel.

“Wait, one more thing. Come here.” They returned the rocks to the case and Raja led Raven further down the hall, to a case blocked off by a black curtain encircling the space in front of it. Raja ducked behind the curtain, and Raven followed her without hesitation.

Inside, it was totally dark. The thick blackout curtain stretched all the way to the floor, and Raven was hit with a wave of still-stoned disorientation as her eyes finally got used to the complete lack of light.

“Ready?” Raja asked.

She nodded, before realizing Raja couldn’t see her either. “Yeah,” she answered out loud.

Raven heard a click and suddenly the small space was illuminated with vibrant colors from the rocks in the case. Raja had turned on a black light in the display case, and the rocks lit up with vibrant neon yellows, pinks, and blues. It was as if they had been transported to an alien world,  through a portal to another universe right here in the middle of the geology hallway. She felt her jaw drop, and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. “No way,” she said softly. “I had no idea this was here.”

Raven was suddenly acutely aware of just how small the space was, and just how close Raja was to her now. She felt long, lithe fingers brush against her wrist, and while she couldn’t be totally sure, she thought she could make out a small smirk along the lines of Raja’s lips. Raja’s hand tightened around her wrist and drew her forward ever so slightly, close enough that she could feel the heat from Raja’s body and hear her breath against the absolute silence of the empty building. They were alone on their own planet, Raven realized, and as she looked up all she could see was Raja, her face just barely illuminated in the neon glow.

Raven closed the small distance between, giving into the desire that had been clawing hungrily inside her chest since Raja had lit her cigarette. Raja kissed her back firmly, as if she had been waiting for a green light. Raven felt Raja’s hand slide up to settle on the back of her neck, the other wrapping around the curve of her waist.

Raja’s mouth was warm and insistent, so  _confident_ , everything Raven wished she so effortlessly could be. When their tongues slid together Raven shuddered, and she felt the corners of Raja’s mouth turn up against hers in a smile. Raven felt herself spinning, falling, melting, transforming, complete putty in Raja’s hands.

Raven pulled back first, almost stumbling, gasping in a deep breath she didn’t realize she had gone without. Her heart raced, her face flushed, and she was grateful for the semi-darkness. 

“Raja?” she asked.

“Yeah?”

She paused, trying to determine an appropriate order to put her words together. “I think I want you." 

“Hm.” Raja took a step towards her. “Want me how?”

“You know,” she breathed. Raja was overwhelmingly close, and Raven could almost feel some kind of electricity sparking off of her skin.

“I don’t think I do.”

Raja’s lips hovered torturously over hers, waiting, teasing, pushing her say to what she needed. Raven was being coy and cagey mostly because she couldn’t believe this was actually happening, and felt terrified that Raja would suddenly realize how overwhelmed she was and back off. And that was the last thing on earth that she wanted. 

“Kiss me,” Raven breathed finally.

Raven felt her shoulders hit glass, felt the rattle of the panes against one another before she was fully conscious of what had happened. Raja had her pinned up against the display case, their bodies pressed tortuously against each other, as she brought her into a much more powerful kiss. Raven pushed back against her, trying to show Raja that she wasn’t weak or nervous, that she wanted this with the same forceful intensity.

Raven slid a hand into Raja’s back pocket, cupping her ass, and lining her up better to grind their hips together. Raja bit at her lip, locked her fingers into Raven’s short hair, and pulled her to the side so that she could bite and suck her way down Raven’s exposed neck. Raven drew in a ragged breath as Raja’s lips hit a particularly sensitive spot on her collarbone, causing Raja to bite down hard enough to leave a mark.

Raja’s lips were back on hers, her tongue hot and insistent as Raven did everything she could to keep up. But then Raja’s hand moved from where it had settled on Raven’s ass around the front of her jeans, and Raven bit Raja’s lip to stifle a whine. She was sure Raja could feel how warm and willing she was even through her pants, and she rolled her hips down against Raja’s hand for some much needed friction.

“I could take you right here.” Raja’s breath was hot against her ear. “Or we could go back to my room, it’s right next door.”

It was a hard choice, and one that her last functioning brain cell was not well-equipped to make. Her body was screaming  _Here Right Now Please,_ but there was something poking into the back of her leg that she couldn’t ignore. And she wanted Raja to  _fuck_ her, properly, not some awkward fumble against a display case.

“Your bed,” Raven managed, unable to keep herself from rutting her hips against Raja’s strong fingers. She shuddered as Raja almost imperceptibly fluttered them. “Please.”

Raja chuckled and pulled her hand back, and Raven suppressed a groan at the absence. “I was hoping you might say that.”

Raja held her hand tightly as they headed down the stairs. Raven was pretty sure that was the only thing keeping her upright, or alternately, keeping her from running outside at full speed. As the cool night air hit her face, she realized she didn’t know where they were going.

“Wait, where do you live?” 

“I’m in Connor House, have you been there?”

 _Oh shit_. Connor House was a converted single-family home that had been given to the college when some old rich guy had died, and it was coveted housing typically reserved for seniors. She knew a group of cool queer seniors had gotten it this year, and apparently Raja was one of them. “No, never.”

She had walked passed this building hundreds of times on her way to the off-campus coffee shop just a block beyond it, peered in through the windows on nights when she heard bass thumping out from a propped-open door, from a party she hadn’t been invited to. And now Raja was swiping them in at two in the morning, and Raven felt the pit drop out of her stomach. Fluorescent light and an all-too-real feeling that encircled her. She wasn’t sure if it was from the thought of running into anyone she had too-publicly ogled in the dining hall or the understanding that this was really actually happening that intimidated her so much, but she steeled herself. She was  _not_  going to look nervous tonight. Hopefully.

The inside of the building was different than she had expected. The college-issue furniture sharply contrasted with the large paintings and other decorations Raja and her friends had clearly set up. 

“Come with me, I need a glass of water,” Raja said, and led her down a narrow hallway.

“Raja, is that you?” a voice called out. They headed towards it and found themselves in the kitchen. Two girls who Raven recognized were sitting at a table eating out of an almost-empty pizza box. Manila Luzon and Delta Work, two of the very girls cataloged in her popular-dyke rolodex. Raven did the coolest and most totally comfortable thing she could think of, which was to lean against the doorframe.  _Convincing,_ she told herself sarcastically.

“You’re home early,” said the same voice, belonging to Delta.

Raja scooped up a piece of pizza, ignoring Delta’s comment. “Raven, do you want some? This is Raven. Manila, Delta.” Raja gestured between the other girls, mouth full of food.

Raven felt a nervous lump lodge in her throat, as she settled on a noncommittal wave. “I’m good, but thanks.”

“Where’s Carmen?” Raja asked, as she filled the one available clean vessel, a Disney coffee mug, with water.

“She was out on a date with a 40-year-old mother of two,” Delta said, “and we haven’t heard from her in about an hour. So she’s either dead or getting fucked. Probably the latter.”

“Damn. Nice work, Carmen.”

Raven could feel eyes on her in the silence, as she noticed Manila looking her up and down. Though they had never spoken before, Raven knew Manila was as close to a campus celebrity as their small college could have. Rumor had it Manila had once thrown a party on the roof of the science building and campus police couldn’t figure out how everyone had gotten up there, so they just gave up on trying to shut it down. And as outrageous as she was, she was notoriously hard to impress.

“Were we in a class together?” Manila asked finally. “Did you take History of Film last semester?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Raven realized there was no point in lying. She had taken History of Film and gotten way too into it. Under any other circumstances she would be excited that Manila knew who she was, but this probably meant she probably knew her as the girl who asked too many questions about Hitchcock. “It was a good class.”

She looked over to Raja for an escape route, who was smirking silently into her water glass.

“Yeah,” Manila said, “I’m not so into the old stuff, but it was nice.”

 _Okay bitch well then why would you take a historical review class in the first place-_  

“Thanks for the pizza,” Raja interjected, and Raven was thankful she did before she accidentally started a fight with someone who already intimidated her. Raja gave Manila’s hair a light ruffle. “We should probably, uh, get going.”

“Have fun, be safe!” Delta’s voice was almost mockingly sweet. She clearly knew what they were up to. Manila gave them a nod and Raven wanted to pull her jacket over her head and leave it there, but she resisted the urge.

 “You did that just to make me nervous,” Raven said once they were in the hallway, turning to climb the precariously narrow stairwell.

“Potentially. Did it work?”

Raven elbowed Raja in retaliation, who responded by pushing her back. Raven’s shoulders hit the stairwell drywall, and Raja’s mouth was on hers again, firm and insistent, and Raven forgot what she had been worried about.

“Better?” Raja asked as she pulled back.

Raven tried to think of something witty, but her mind was wiped clean. All she could do was duck her head, smile, and nod.

Raja pulled her the rest of the way up the stairs by the hand, both tripping and laughing as they made their way up two more flights to her room.

It turned out Raja lived in the attic. It was a strangely shaped room, much bigger than any student room she had seen before on campus, with sharply slanted walls that met at a point in the ceiling. She had set up a couple bean bags in the low corners, and decorated the slanted walls with draped tapestries and silks. Raven wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but she was struck by how ethereal it felt in the moonlight, accentuated by a pink glow as Raja clicked on a salt lamp. 

Raja climbed onto her bed, which seemed to be a full size that she had swapped for the college-issue spring twin and was pressed against the vertical wall with a window. She had a picture-perfect view of the small mountain range that was typically obscured by the other college buildings, and Raven could just make out the lights from the hill towns dotting the edges.

“Come here,” Raja said softly, and Raven didn’t need to be told twice. She crawled onto the bed and settled in next to Raja, whose lips quickly found hers. Raja rolled on top of her and she reveled in the sensation of being finally comfortable, finally close, finally alone.

“Gonna make you feel so good,” Raja whispered, and a shudder raced through Raven’s body.

“Then make me feel good,” Raven responded, surprising even herself with how bold she was being.

Raja’s hands ran under the hem of Raven’s shirt, her fingertips tracing gently across her skin, her thumb running along the edge of her lace bra. Raven locked a finger through one of Raja’s belt loops, pulling her even closer, so their hips fit perfectly against one another. Raven rolled her hips up experimentally and smiled when Raja let out a small, soft sound. Raja worked Raven’s thin t-shirt over her head, and Raven thanked whatever deity might be listening that she had worn cute underwear today.

“You too.” Raven pulled lightly at Raja’s frayed top, and the other girl obliged her. It was only then that Raven realized Raja hadn’t been wearing a bra under her loose-fitting tank top, and Raven had to bite her lip to keep her mouth from hanging open. Raja was impossibly thin, with barely-there breasts and coffee-toned skin that Raven needed to put her hands on immediately. 

Raja straddled her, staring down at her with a smirk and a playful look in her eyes. “What?” 

“Nothing. Just… You’re not bad to look at.”

“Hmm, speak for yourself.”

Raven could feel Raja working the clasp of her bra, and before she knew it her own breasts spilled out. Raven knew her body was much fuller than Raja’s, but she had no anxiety over that. She could barely give a second thought to how she looked, anyway, as Raja started to kiss her way down Raven’s body. Raven could swear she saw stars.

“I want you,” she breathed, shivering as Raja’s hands ghosted over her exposed, sensitive skin, the contact overwhelming but not enough.

“Yes, you keep saying that.” Raja bit her collarbone, and she could feel Raja smile when she drew in a sharp breath.

“I want you to  _touch me_.”

“Touch you where? You have to tell me what you want, babe.”

 _Babe_? Little things like that certainly weren’t helping her ability to communicate. That, on top of the small nips she pressed into Raven’s chest, the way her mouth hovered over her nipple but ultimately denied her the contact she craved, she couldn’t even start to put a sentence together.

At a loss for words, Raven grabbed a hold of Raja’s hand and placed it between her legs, cupping it against the spot where she already knew she was warm and wet, palpable even through her jeans. Raja’s mouth was back on hers, kissing her way across her jaw to nibble at the sensitive part of her ear while Raven held her firmly against where she needed her most.

“Still don’t know what you want,” Raja whispered, though she was clearly working her fingers now against Raven. She could tell Raja was getting off on this, her gaze sultry and hooded. And Raven knew that if was going to get anywhere, if she was going to get Raja to shut up and  _fuck her,_ she was going to have to be clear.

“You fucking tease, I want— _oh_ —” Raven struggled to articulate. “I want your fingers deep in me. I want you to fuck me hard. And I want to come with your mouth on my clit. Now  _please_ , would you just—”

Raja kissed her hard to cut her off, her fingers working at the button of Raven’s jeans. “I thought you would never ask.“ 

Raven helped her, shimmying out of the rest of her clothes until she was completely naked. Raja looked over her, biting her lip in a way that made Raven draw in an audible breath, before Raja settled back down on top of her. Her hand settled on Raven’s hipbone, moving lower, lower, torturously slowly, until finally she traced ever so lightly over Raven’s pussy. Raja watched Raven’s eyes intently as she gathered the wetness that Raven had felt forming long ago, spreading it across her folds, softly circling her clit. Raven felt as though she was suspended in zero-gravity, weightless, spinning, pressing her lips together tightly to keep herself from moaning.

Raven brought her hand up to Raja’s waist, trying to find something to hold on to. Her fingers just began to dip under Raja’s waistband, eager to make Raja feel as otherworldly-incredible as she did when Raja’s hand caught tightly around her wrist, pulling her back. “Don’t touch. You’ll distract me.”

“Ugh, not fair,” Raven sighed, though she was surprised by just how good it felt to have Raja’s hand so firmly holding her back.

“Whiny,” Raja observed. “I like that.”

Before Raven could come up with a retort Raja slipped a finger inside of her, and Raven gasped at the sensation. She knew Raja’s fingers were long, but she hadn’t yet conceived of what they would feel like inside of her. She stretched deep, deeper than Raven could ever reach with her own hand, and she grinded down against Raja’s finger, trying to show that she wanted,  _needed_  more.

Raja was quick to read her signals, adding another finger and finding an intense rhythm as she slid in and out. When Raja curled her fingers up just perfectly, Raven couldn’t suppress the noises she was holding back anymore. She let out a high, breathy moan, and Raja responded by quickening the pace.

Raven snaked a hand behind Raja’s head, getting a solid grip in her long, black hair, pulling her closer.

“Don’t touch,” Raja repeated, this time her tone much firmer, her eyes dark. 

“And what if I do?” Raven shot back.

“Do you really want to find out?”

Raven did. As an answer, she traced her fingers down Raja’s neck, over her chest, and down, down, down. But before she could bring her hand as low as she wanted to go (and  _damn_  Raja’s body was  _long_ ) Raja’s hands were around her wrists again, this time bitingly tight, and Raven felt herself being lifted and thrust back against the headboard, the heat of Raja’s body suddenly absent.

Raven was disoriented. Had she misread Raja’s signals? Had she done something wrong? Raja knelt at the side of the bed, fishing through a cardboard box.

“Raja, I—”

“Wrists.” Her tone was icy, but there was the smallest smirk in the corner of her mouth, which put Raven at ease.

“What?”

Raja held up a sky-blue piece of silk, not too different from the ones that draped from her walls, as she settled back down on top of Raven. “Give me your wrists.”

 _Oh_. Raven obeyed, holding her hands out in front of her. She felt her breath catch in excitement as Raja crossed her wrists over one another, wrapping the silk around and between them, and then lifting them above Raven’s head to tie it through the bedframe slats. It was just tight enough to hold her securely as she pulled against it, but she figured if she twisted at a different angle, she could get out of it on her own. But right now the pressure of being held back felt so right that she couldn’t imagine anything else.

“Okay?” 

“Yes, very okay,” Raven breathed.

“You’ll tell me if you get uncomfortable?”

Raven nodded, and shivered as Raja traced a hand down the sensitive underside of her arm.

“Good, because I like you like this.” Raja kissed her way down Raven’s body, nipping at her hipbones slowly. Raven wanted so badly to grab her hair, show her where to go, and she pulled against the silk around her wrists

Just when her mouth was inches from her clit, so close that Raven could feel the heat of her breath, Raja moved over to press kisses into her inner thighs, which turned into small bites, sharp enough that Raven hoped they might leave a mark. 

“Quit teasing,” Raven said as she tugged against the restraints.

“Don’t make me gag you, too.”

But then Raja’s mouth finally settled where she needed it most, her tongue licking a steady, slow line up to her clit. An electric sensation rushed all the way through Raven’s body. Raja’s mouth felt like heaven, her tongue forceful and warm, clearly reading Raven’s body for the things that made Raven’s hips buck up towards her.

“Fuck, Raja,” she called out, her voice loud enough to bounce off the walls. She figured the other house members could probably hear her, but she was resolved not to care anymore. Besides, she didn’t have a free hand to cover her own mouth.

She let out a low groan as Raja slipped her fingers back inside, her mouth and hand working in a perfect tandem. Raja’s tongue felt all-encompassing, madly precise, like she somehow knew exactly how to give Raven what she craved. She felt a brilliant heat building, a bright white tension as she pulled against the bedframe. “I’m gonna—”

“Come for me.” Raja’s voice was barely perceptible, but Raven felt her fingers start to pulse almost relentlessly deep inside of her, hitting that spot that drove her wild. Raja’s tongue moved just right against her clit and Raven turned to bury her face in her own arm as she let out a truly vulgar cry. She pushed her hips down into Raja’s face and came forcefully, the world flashing white behind her eyes.

She felt her body slacken, collapse, as Raja drew her fingers out, pressing a kiss to her hipbone. When Raven finally managed to open her eyes, Raja was looking up at her with a brilliant smile.

“I kind of want to keep you tied up, see how many times you can do that.” Raja’s hand felt red hot moving slowly and gently up and down her side, and Raven squirmed against the contact.

“No, no,” Raven pulled loosely against the restraints, realizing just how exhausted her body was. But she needed to get Raja off as well, wanted to see her face twisted in pleasure. “I want to touch you, please, let me help you feel that good.”

Raja’s hands were quickly around her wrists again, untying her, and she sunk down into the bed. “You don’t have to do that, look at you, you’re so tired.”

“I’m not a child. And I’m not a pillow princess.” Raven propped herself up on her elbows, taking a deep cleansing breath. The world was still spinning, her body felt like she had been flung out into space, but that didn’t have to mean she was out for the count. “Now let me fuck you.”

“Alright, I guess you’re convincing.” Raja traced a thumb over Raven’s jaw before leaning into kiss her, this time without the kind of urgency she had kissed her with before, but with a slow, soft kind of comfort.

“Um, what do you like?” Raven asked as she broke away. 

Raja smiled again and slid off of her, and Raven was grateful for another moment to collect herself. Raja reached back down into the box under her bed and pulled out a small black bullet vibrator, simultaneously slipping out of her remaining clothes. 

“Damn, what else do you have in there?” Raven asked, trying to peek over the edge of the bed.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Raja smirked, straddling Raven as she clicked on the vibrator, turning it to a medium setting. She handed it to Raven, guiding her hand in between Raja’s thighs. “Here. I’ll show you what I like.”

Raja lowered her hips down over the vibrator, and Raven moved it just barely, picking up some of her wetness and getting to feel that heat for herself. She started grinding her hips down over where Raven’s hand was holding the vibrator, setting her own place, clearly interested in being the one in control. And Raven could certainly get into that, feeling totally consumed by the concentrated intensity in Raja’s eyes. Raja pressed a hand solidly against Raven’s chest, pushing her back into the mattress as she continued to roll her hips.

“Oh, fuck, this is perfect,” Raja said softly.

Experimentally, Raven started to move the vibrator more, just in little circles, growing a bit more confident as Raja started to let out little gasps and small guttural sounds. Raja threw her head back when Raven pressed it firmly against her clit, the rhythm of her hips speeding up. Even though Raja’s nails were short, Raven felt them start to dig into the skin of her chest, scraping tighter and tighter.

She didn’t give much warning that she was going to come. Raven felt Raja’s slim legs tighten around her hips, watched with some kind of awe as her mouth dropped open and eyes twisted shut. Raja let out a long, sharp cry that Raven was certain reverberated not just through the room, but the whole house. Her nails were piercingly sharp against Raven’s skin but she couldn’t bring herself to care, as she was totally transfixed by the look of pure ecstasy on Raja’s face when her eyes shot open.

Raja collapsed forward, breathing heavily, her long hair falling over Raven’s face. “Wow. Okay.  _Wow_.”

She rolled over to nestle into Raven’s side, her lips pressing softly against Raven’s neck as she tried to collect herself. As her heavy breaths came more slowly she started to giggle, a sweet and subtle sound that made Raven feel all kinds of things she didn’t have words for yet.

“Are you okay?” Raven asked as she clicked off the vibrator.

“Yeah, I just… Wow. All honesty, I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Bitch! What does that mean!” Raven elbowed her, but gently. Raja was clearly flustered, her filter gone, but Raven felt too accomplished to be authentically offended.  

“I’m sorry! It’s not about you. I’m just really picky about how I get fucked. And, well, you’re pretty good at it.”

Raven hoped that Raja couldn’t hear her pulse racing, and not just from the lingering aftershocks from her own orgasm. “You did most of the work,” was all Raven could manage. Raja pressed a kiss into the top of her head.

They laid in silence for a few warm, cozy moments. This was not at all where Raven had imagined her night would end up, but she wasn’t going to complain. For a brief moment she let herself relax into Raja’s side, comfortable enough that she could probably fall asleep right there, but knowing she probably shouldn’t.

“I should pee, where’s your bathroom?” Raven finally said unceremoniously. Regretfully, she scootched out of the bed.

“Mmm, down one flight, around to the left.” Raja lazily turned her head into the pillow where Raven’s head had just been.

Raven toed at the lump of clothes on the ground, unsuccessful in locating anything that might effectively cover her. “Fuck, where did my clothes go?”

“Here.” Raja wadded up a bedsheet and tossed it over to Raven. She caught it, confused. “Wear it toga-style. I do it all the time.”

Raven tried to roll her eyes with disinterest, but she knew her small smile would give her away. She tied the sheet around her, more like an awkward beach towel than a toga, shook her head at a beaming, still-naked Raja, and headed down the stairs.

There were luckily only three doors on the second floor, and Raven headed towards the one open one. She quickly realized, however, that this was not the bathroom. It was a bedroom lined with twinkle lights, many potted plants, and clothes haphazardly strewn across the floor. There was an easel propped in one corner, and seemingly no one inside. Raven didn’t want to pry. She heard water running from behind the other door and froze, unsure whether she should run back up the stairs to Raja’s room or hide in the alcove or just wait for the bathroom to be free like a normal human being. Before she was able to make a decision, though, the door swung open and Manila walked out, her brow quickly furrowing as her eyes settled on Raven.

Raven knew she should be mortified. Maybe it was the subtle fizzle from her almost-disappeared high or just an aftereffect from being well-fucked, but she honestly didn’t care. Manila could stare her down all she wanted, but Raven felt like she had just been to the moon and back, and no one was going to ruin that for her.

“Is that a bedsheet?” Manila asked coldly.

Raven raised her chin with pride. “Yes it is.”

Manila walked past her, eyes narrowed, stepping into her own room. She smiled, but Raven could tell there was something less than authentic behind her eyes.

“You look good, girl.”

Raven figured it was supposed to be a backhanded compliment, but she felt unshakable. As she shut the bathroom door behind her, she finally got a look at herself in the mirror. It might not have been the most fashionable bedsheet toga, but it did reveal the definite long red marks from where Raja’s fingers had scraped across her chest. Her skin was still flushed, and there was a small red mark just above her collarbone. She brought a hand up to trace across it and noticed her wrists were still a little red too. The marks sent a different rush through her body. If Manila had noticed any of it, all the better.

“Fuck yeah, I look good,” she said softly to herself.

She peed and headed back up to Raja’s room. Raja was sitting cross legged against the headboard of the bed, rolling a small joint on top of a sketch pad. She looked up at Raven with a bright smile. “Oh, since you’re up, grab me a lighter. In my jacket pocket.”

Raven had been ready to grab her clothes and leave if Raja was kicking her out, but it seemed like she might get to stick around a little longer. She turned to dig Raja’s denim jacket out of the pile of discarded clothes. “You can smoke in here?” she asked.

“Technically no, but rumor has it the fire alarms in this building haven’t worked in years.” Raja popped the window behind her open as Raven pulled a lavender lighter out of Raja’s jacket. “It’s a tinderbox but we’ve yet to burn it down. But you should join me.”

Just as she was about to pass the lighter to Raja she was hit with a sudden realization. She looked back and forth between it and the jacket.  _No way_.

“Oh my god.”

“What?”

“You had a lighter. This entire time you had a lighter.”

Raven vividly remembered lighting her cigarette off of Raja’s, how it had been the hottest thing in the entire world, how her hands had probably shaken as she drew in the smoke. Raja had known exactly what she was doing that entire time, drawing Raven in right from the start.

Raja bit her lip fake-sheepishly. “Maybe. Are you mad?”

“Yes. No. I’m more impressed than anything.” She tossed the lighter at Raja and climbed up next to her on the bed.

“Listen,” Raja said as she lit the joint, just taking a quick hit. “It worked.”

Raven couldn’t contest that. She rolled her eyes, trying to look unmoved, though her stomach churned with a kind of wonder she couldn’t quite capture in a word. “Give me that, bitch.”

Raja pulled up a vine compilation on her phone as they passed the joint between them, Raven mouthing the words along with some of her favorites, Raja cackling at some she had never seen before. Raven rested her head against Raja’s shoulder and felt her eyelids flutter as her body grew light and fuzzy and warm.

“Raja? Um, can I sleep here tonight?” The thought of getting out of this exact position was physically painful.

“Of course.” Raja pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and Raven curled in closer. “But if I’m dead asleep tomorrow, don’t be offended. I sleep like a rock.”

“Noted.”

Raven’s eyes soon drifted shut, lulled by the cozy high and the heat of Raja’s body against hers. She couldn’t be sure if she had imagined it, but she might have felt lips pressed softly at the corner of her mouth, might have heard a whispered goodnight before she finally fell completely into sleep.

–

True to her word, Raja didn’t budge when Raven stirred awake. The early morning sunlight streamed in through the east-facing window, casting a bright glow throughout the room. Though the thought of staying in this beautiful room until Raja woke her up was appealing, she knew there would come a point when it would seem like she was getting clingy. Raven committed to making a quick exit, finally recovering all of her clothes from the floor.

She scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper and left it on Raja’s bedside table. She hoped it wasn’t too assuming but figured Raja would just ignore her if it was. She managed to sneak out without bumping into any of Raja’s housemates, and it was thankfully still early enough in the morning for nobody else to spot her. Even though maybe just a little piece of her wanted to be seen.

Not that she cared. That much.

Back in her room she finally plugged in her dead phone, which quickly lit up with a barrage of texts from Juju. She was clearly worried that Raven had gone off the grid, so Raven reaffirmed that she was still alive, and teased having a worthwhile story to tell.

She dropped her phone for a minute and peeled off last night’s clothes. She paused in the mirror to trace her hands back over the marks Raja had left on her skin. This was dangerous. As much as she was usually one to fuck and move along, Raja was like a magnet. She forced herself not to think about Raja’s mouth and everywhere she could possibly leave marks, and what else was in that box under her bed. Someone as tall and gorgeous and mysterious and kind (and, and, and) as Raja could have whatever she wanted, and Raven was probably foolish to think that might include her.

But when she sat back down on her bed and picked up her phone, a new message flashed across her screen.

**(unknown number)**

_hey_

_it’s raja!_

Raven smiled. Cool. Very cool.

**Author's Note:**

> your comments and feedback mean the world to me! thank you for reading!


End file.
